overpaying for car insurance, go to finance buzz. com. now. >> this is cnn the world's news network. >> closed captioning is brought to you by tableau. watch, pause and record live tv subscription free. >> watch live tv for free with tableau. >> access over 90 free channels, plus record, pause and replay, all with zero

monthly fees or contracts. order a tableau total system today it's beginning to look a lot like shutdown. >> anger and frustration boiling over on capitol hill. lawmakers have fewer than 12 hours to pass a spending deal before the federal government shuts down at midnight. speaker johnson, as you see there, avoiding reporters under pressure as democrats hold their ground, so can they reach an agreement? plus, a strike at starbucks, baristas walking off the job in a handful of cities. why? some of them say this is just the beginning. >> and a record breaking number of americans are expected to travel this holiday. but a winter storm threatens to disrupt your good cheer. we're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to cnn news central.

>> thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. i'm boris sanchez alongside brianna keilar in our nation's capital. i have to acknowledge she was the one who came up with. it's beginning to look a lot like shutdown. that's a great line. >> i think we're going to be seeing it a lot today. yeah. >> the government is on the brink of shutting down, and president elect donald trump is telling congress to let it happen. now before inauguration day, because he says it's president biden's problem to fix. a live look at capitol hill now where house republicans are meeting behind closed doors as they scramble to find a way to keep washington running. their plan a got scrapped this week. and then last night, their plan b also failed, even though it was backed by the president elect. and now they're racing to come up with a plan c with just 11 hours and 58 minutes before the midnight deadline. >> speaker johnson says they have something in mind, but trump is demanding no deal unless the debt limit is raised or eliminated altogether. it's a condition that's getting pushback from both sides of the

aisle. and if congress can't find a path forward, that means that some federal workers will be furloughed and essential employees might have to work without pay. just days before christmas. cnn's manu raju is live on capitol hill. manu, tell us where talks stand right now. things have been so fluid yeah. >> no question about it. all day long. the speaker of the house has been trying to resurrect a plan that was shelved, that was defeated by 38 members of his own party who rebelled and revolted against donald trump's efforts to try to get this plan b, as you described, done last night. democrats to opposing that plan. so what is plan c? that's what they've been negotiating all morning long. and what they've settled on is this try to separate this package to keep the government open into several smaller bills, and try to move those three different bills individually. among those bills would be a three month extension of government funding, a $100 billion package to deal with natural disaster relief, things that parts of the country that have been hit

hard by hurricanes and the like. and $10 billion in aid to farmers that had all initially been part of a larger package. of course, donald trump scuttled that package in the 11th hour earlier this week when he criticized it and then demanded that this congress address the issue of the national debt limit. of course, a politically fraught issue, one in which they have battled on over for years. and it takes months typically to resolve. he wanted it done in a couple of days. but what we are hearing now from our sources is that the discussion about the debt limit, given the pushback from democrats and conservative republicans, is going to be punted until next year in defiance of donald trump's demands, meaning that they had to address it. when donald trump takes the oath of office and when the republicans take control of both chambers of congress. now, right now, they're trying to get buy in from their members, but there is ample frustration, including from one congressman who told me going in. this is just another example of the swamp how are you feeling about the way this has come together? >> are washington sewer 101.

nothing changes on that front. >> so now the question is the process, which will be very important in determining whether they have the votes to get this through. there's one effort that they can try to get it done today these bills done today. but that would require two thirds majority in the united states house, meaning 290 members of all members are here and voting, and there are 219 house republicans. so a significant number of democrats will have to support it. another process try to do by a straight majority, but that would require a procedural vote to happen first. that procedural vote would need to be carried by republicans, because democrats would vote against that initial procedural vote if they were to succeed on that latter approach, that would require half half of the house to move this through by tomorrow. this would push this issue by tomorrow because of the rules in the united states house, meaning past the shutdown deadline. so all these things are being negotiated right now behind closed doors. we'll see ultimately what the speaker settles on. >> and, manu, what are you hearing about what democrats

are now considering at this point? >> it seems like that, yeah, they are weighing this new idea by the speaker of the house. in fact, speaker, the leader of the house democrats, hakeem jeffries, told me and other reporters this morning that he is keeping open a line of communication with the speaker of the house. that's much different than what we have heard over the last several days and what we were told from our sources that the democrats are weighing whether to accept this. they want to see what happens in this republican conference meeting first, will the members come out and they revolt? will they decide to do it under that two thirds procedure that requires significant number of democrats to get behind it, or will they try to go along a majority vote which would push it until tomorrow, which they could essentially do on their own with just republican votes, assuming they don't lose more than a couple to defectors. so jeffries and hakeem jeffries, the white house and the senate majority leader, chuck schumer are all having discussions at the moment to try to figure out how to proceed, whether to back this, because democratic support is essential, not just in the house, but, of course, the democratic led senate and

the democrat who still occupies the white house. guys. >> all right, manu raju, thank you so much. let's talk about this now with republican congressman dan meuser of pennsylvania. maybe get some insights into what, again, we said is a very fluid situation. sir, is this looking like a shutdown to you hi, brianna. >> you know, manu just laid it out extremely well. and as of right now, i think the odds are that there will not be a shutdown. we will have a vote, it looks like soon as manu was explaining on suspension, we would need two thirds on what largely was the bill from last night. without the debt ceiling language. or if that doesn't pass by the two thirds, we then go to rules. we have various procedures, and there's a pretty good chance before midnight we have a majority vote on a another bill, a cr to into march, which would also include the disaster relief and economic assistance, but

without some of the other things that were in the last yesterday's bill. so we have two shots at it here. hopefully we get the first one done. i think we have i think it might go by suspension. >> so not including the debt limit pushing it off, suspending it, eliminating it. is that acceptable to you? >> well, you know what, if it's acceptable to the white house, it's acceptable to me. there is a conversation and a proposal of how we can put the debt limit in a reconciliation bill come february or so. so if that's the case and the white house is comfortable with that, i'm comfortable with it. >> when you say the white house, you're talking about trump, the incoming administration, just to be clear. okay. >> yes, brianna, i am. and let's face it, that's almost how it seems. i mean, joe biden's been m.i.a. throughout this entire process as as has most of the white house. so, yeah, i mean, the incoming

president's white house. >> okay. um, you told fox business this morning when you were talking about trump's expectation of the original government funding bill, that there were things that were not in it that were expected. apparently, you were talking about trump's request for a debt ceiling. are you saying that speaker johnson ignored trump on what should be in the bill? or how would you characterize it? >> yeah, i think it was discussed a possibly not made a significant priority. as it turns out, it was. and during the course of the negotiation. and that's the problem when you receive bills at the at the last minute, i mean, we knew what was going to be in it, about 90% anyway that last 10%, for instance, it was a surprise to me that the congressional pay raise was in there. that was that was a surprise. so perhaps the white house and i don't know for sure, was surprised that the debt ceiling language was not included in the final negotiation that took

place. really, between the speaker and and the senate. and chuck schumer. so and jeffries, of course. so, yeah, it looks like they were taken aback and felt it was far more important than was understood. and, you know, that's too bad. that's what largely caused all of this is johnson's speakership in danger? i don't think so. the president, the president elect has shown support for mike johnson. we have support for him. i do. look, this was this was it's not easy. it's difficult. there's a lot to corral here. but but frankly. and if you're referencing my uh, fox business earlier, we need to have an understanding of what the white house wants. and our role is to enhance it, make it as better, better as we can provide advice and be involved. but come the end of the day, we need to be on board with with with that agenda, because that's what we all won on. that's what the president elect was elected to do. and

i'm here to live up to those promises. >> you said republicans particularly not getting on board with what you call trump's first step of wanting to dispense with the debt ceiling is, quote, just wrong. but many of your fellow republicans will never vote for a debt ceiling increase. they've made themselves abundantly clear on this. and then there are still others, including speaker johnson, who are blaming democrats for not walking that plank. does he expect democrats to save republicans from themselves? >> well, maybe the democrats want to save themselves from their voters. you know, they already and some of my friends that are democrats were speaking on the floor yesterday talking about a shutdown, like daring us to to shut down how politically problematic that would be for us. i mean, isn't what's best for the country more important

than, you know, a short term political victory? i mean, they're handling the debt ceiling the same way, like they need it so they can have leverage down the road. >> or you have colleagues who are supporting who have supported a shutdown, a prolonged one at that nancy mace others. in your own party. >> yeah. i don't know if they support a shutdown. they're not afraid of it. right. in any negotiation, you can't say what you are most fearful of. you need to say, okay, if that happens, that happens. but here is our position. and i think that's where they were and on some of their votes. look, i can't speak to that. some of the votes yesterday by my republican colleagues, i didn't agree with and and didn't understand, but nevertheless, they had their position. and now we're we're continuing to move on. clearly, we could see the president elect and his administration or his incoming administration are willing to negotiate based upon some good faith understanding that we will handle the debt limit. uh, early in

reconciliation and for 1.5 trillion increase for a goal of $2.5 trillion in savings in the second reconciliation. that's what we were just discussing in our conference. >> this talk of elon musk for speaker, is that at all real, or is that just a shot over the bow by some republicans to speaker johnson? >> it probably is a shot over the bow, but it may be a shot over the bow of the democrats, who seem to try to be demonizing elon musk for the work he's doing, for the advice he's giving the president. and that's all it is. he's an advisor. and the fact that he's pulling the curtain back on some of this, frankly, garbage that is, is in these bills, pork barrel, whatever you want to call it. so they're on a little bit of the last time you saw a presidential advisor or the advisor to an incoming president, scuttle an entire bill before congress, you know, brianna, it wasn't scuttled

that way. i started reading it on tuesday evening. i didn't like what i saw. i began continuing reading it wednesday morning. every time i turned a page, the uglier it got. and i was close to a no. before elon musk put anything out, he was probably doing the same. he and his team going through it and saying, my goodness, where did all this come from? this is not what we expected. and by the way, they may have expected the debt limit language. so they just came out and said, hey, this is we don't like this. and you know, elon musk, first of all, is his own person, but he is head of doge. so i'm sure the president was aware of what he planned to do. so it was it really just just occurred based upon the information that we dug out of the 1547 pages, that was far more, had far more in it than than i certainly anticipated. and probably they as well. >> yeah, it's been reported. trump certainly was aware, but extraordinary this turn of events and how this came to be.

congressman mercer, thank you so much. a lot going on on the hill and we appreciate your time. >> i appreciate you too. thanks, brianna. >> coming up on cnn news central one day after amazon contractors hit the picket lines, starbucks baristas in three major cities are now walking off the job ahead. how these strikes could impact you. plus, it's a huge holiday weekend for travel and the weather is already playing a big role. we'll have your holiday forecast just ahead. >> andy. take a seat. anderson. look at this. you're wet. disheveled. there's debris hitting you. we need to be ready for new year's eve maybe you are ready. >> new year's eve, live with anderson and andy. live coverage starts at eight on cnn. >> it's the most wonderful time with the kids. jingle be of good cheer. >> it's the most one. >> whether your phone's broken or old, we've got you with

verizon. anyone can trade in any phone, any condition. it's your last chance to get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence on u.s. and ipad and apple watch series ten all three on us. that's up to $2,000 in value only on verizon. >> hello, you got this one. remember, i don't want surgery for my dupuytren's contracture. >> two i want to be able to lay my hand flat. >> three i want a non-surgical recovery four i want options non-surgical options. >> and five. >> and if non-surgical treatment isn't offered, i'll >> let's go take charge of your treatment. if you can't lay your hand flat, visit. find a hand specialist.com to get started. >> our right to reproductive health care is being stolen from us. i can't believe this is the world we live in where we're losing the freedom to control our own bodies. we need your support now more than

ever. go online, call or scan this code with your $19 monthly gift and we'll send you this care no matter what t shirt it is. >> your right to have safe health care. that's it. >> go online, call or scan. right now i'm jonathan lawson here to tell you about life insurance through the colonial penn program. >> if you're age 50 to 85 and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's? >> what are the three p's? >> the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price and price a price you can afford. a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. >> i'm 54. what's my price? >> you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. >> i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? >> also 9.95 a month. >> i just turned 80. what's my price? >> 9.95 a month for you too. if

you're age 50 to 85, call now about the number one most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. options start at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed, and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours free just for calling. so call now for free information, call one 800 688 1300 for your free information and your free gift. >> that's one 800 688 1300. don't wait one 800 688. 1300 call now love saving money. >> then it's time to join aarp. get your first full year for just $12 with automatic renewal and get a second membership free. >> that's a great deal. >> you'll have access to hundreds of benefits to help you save money, stay healthy, and have fun. plus, everyday

discounts at top retailers, dining and more. your first year is just $12 with automatic renewal and get a second membership and an insulated trunk organizer for free. ( 800) 290-7516 helping families with mesothelioma is all we do. >> our firm has been offering a free book on mesothelioma for over ten years. since that time, thousands with mesothelioma have trusted us to represent them against those responsible. we have local offices throughout the u.s., mesothelioma really is all we do, and there is no risk to you. let us put a plan in place for you and your family. call now. >> call us at 800 213 8000 or go to msnbc.com. >> i'm doctor sanjay gupta in atlanta, and this is cnn. >> five days before christmas and thousands more workers could walk off the job at two of the biggest companies in america, starbucks and amazon. today, members of the starbucks

workers united union began striking in seattle, los angeles and chicago. they say the fight could spread coast to coast to hundreds of other stores by christmas eve, unless management commits to the framework of a first ever union contract. >> also on the picket lines, amazon drivers, who are represented by the teamsters union. they say they're not only seeking better pay and working conditions, but they also want to be recognized as company employees. and that includes these drivers in rhode island who, as you can see, are picketing with a giant inflatable pig. a local union leader explained why it's emblematic of of our society, where you have immense wealth at the top and crumbs for for workers. cnn's business correspondent vanessa yurkevich joins us now. vanessa, first to amazon. the company says this work stoppage is not going to impact christmas deliveries. and we were joking yesterday about how i'm going to tell my family members that it

absolutely is in case their christmas presents don't show up on time. but what's the reality here? is anybody going to be missing out on their stocking stuffers? >> amazon says no. amazon says everything is on schedule. and ultimately amazon is saying that because they consider these drivers that are on strike, third party contracted drivers, they don't really consider them amazon employees. but the teamsters, which represents these thousands of drivers who are on strike across four states in seven main locations, say that the reason they're on strike is because amazon won't come to the negotiating table. amazon says, well, we don't have to come to the negotiating table because these workers are not recognized as union members under the national labor relations board. i spoke to the national spokesperson of amazon last night and asked her about this. i want you to listen to her and then also listen to a worker responding to what she had to say. do you consider

this strike illegal? >> there is no strike. this is a protest that has been facilitated by the teamsters. there are no amazon employees and no third party drivers who pay dues to the teamsters. >> the third party model they created is very clearly a ploy and a mechanism to get out and under responsibility for unionizing workers. these third party contractors don't exist without amazon. amazon is our only customer, and they create this situation again to create distance from us and give themselves an easy out now, there were seven locations that were authorized to go on strike by the teamsters, but we are learning that now that there are support protests happening across the country. >> according to the teamsters, at 199 amazon facilities, these are folks who are part of other unions, some amazon employees, and then some of those drivers that are represented by the

teamsters. so clearly this is spreading. the workers are asking for better wages, better conditions, as you guys know very well, a lot of these amazon drivers have long hours work in tough conditions. and they say they're feeling pressure from the company to work even faster, especially during this holiday season. >> and this starbucks strike. has any progress been made so far to stop it from spreading as the workers are warning, this is going to take off coast to coast? >> yeah. not yet. and this strike with starbucks workers is happening in three locations chicago, seattle and los angeles. and the union is threatening to expand to other states by the 24th of december. but the difference here is that starbucks actually does have to negotiate with these union workers. they recognize over 500 unionized stores, and they have been negotiating since february. but the union says that they wanted a contract by

the end of this year. we're almost at the end of the year. and they say that what's been presented by starbucks has not been good enough. starbucks says that they're disappointed that this is going on, that this strike is happening. and they also say that this strike today has had minimal disruptions. one source who is familiar with the impact of this strike says just about ten stores out of 10,000 did not open as planned today. but guys, this is the holiday season. this is a big time for both amazon and starbucks. these unions know what they're doing, even though even if they don't have the financial economic impact on these companies, raising awareness about what these workers are looking for. at the end of the day. >> vanessa yurkovich, thank you so much for that update. coming up as washington barrels toward a shutdown, one person is notably absent from the spotlight joe biden. we have some new reporting on how the sitting president has been seemingly lying low in his final days in office, but now seeks to get involved

can't fool myself. >> it was the most exciting time in the world. his life had extremely joyful moments and some really difficult moments. >> you only come across an artist like luther vandross once in a lifetime. >> luther. never too much new year's day on cnn. >> we just want to have enough money for retirement and travel to visit our grandchildren. >> i understand. that's why at fisher investments, we start by getting to know each other so i can learn about your family, lifestyle, goals and needs, allowing us to tailor your portfolio. >> what about commission based products? >> we don't sell those. we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in your best interests. so how do your management fees work? we have a transparent fee structure, so we do better. when you do better at fisher investments we're clearly different. >> my moderate to severe crohn's symptoms kept me out of the picture. now i have skyrizi. i've got places to go and i'm feeling free. >> controlling my crohn's means everything to me. control

is. everything to me. >> and now i'm back in the picture. feel significant symptom relief at four weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi helped visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining, and with skyrizi, many were in remission. at 12 weeks, at one year, and even at two years. >> don't use if allergic serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. before treatment, get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flu like symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. >> now's the time to take control of your crohn's control. was everything to me. ask your doctor about skyrizi, the number one prescribed biologic and crohn's disease. >> do your dry eyes still feel gritty rough or tired? with my bow, eyes can feel my bow.

yeah, my bow is the only prescription dry eye drop that forms a protective layer for the number one cause of dry eye. too much tear evaporation for relief. that's my bow. >> oh, yeah. >> remove contact lenses before using my bow. wait at least 30 minutes before putting them back in. eye redness and blurred vision may occur. what does treating dry eye differently feel like? i. go, oh yeah, for relief. that feels. like home. >> yeah. >> ask your eye doctor about prescription. my bow. >> you make good choices. they've shaped your journey to leave all that your life built. rock solid for generations. with ambition like that, you need someone who elevates advice to a craft. at ubs, we match your vision with insight and expertise to shape a unique outcome for you. advice is our craft.

>> tempur-pedic designed the ergo pro smart base to help you fall asleep more easily. it's gentle massage and relaxing sounds help calm your mind every night. save up z's bakery is looking to addza oven, arissa's hair salon wants to expand their space, and steve's t-shirt shop wants to bring on more help. with the comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee, they can think more about possibilities for their business and not the cost of their internet. it's five years of gig-speeds and advanced security. all from the company with 99.9% network reliability. get the 5-year price lock guarantee, now back for a limited time. powering five years of savings. powering possibilities™.

and it only took me two minutes. >> closed captioning is brought to you by mike, an all in one home access and monitoring system my garage. >> i'd be closing while i'm hiking in wyoming. if my home just had a brain. >> as the clock ticks toward a government shutdown, there's one voice that's noticeably absent from the chaos on capitol hill, at least until earlier today. and that's president biden. >> since this bipartisan deal collapsed, the white house has only released a statement blasting the republican's revised spending plan. but the president himself has yet to comment publicly, and his low profile is irritating some democratic lawmakers. cnn's senior white house correspondent kayla tausche is there at the white house for

us, kayla, this shutdown is here upon us, hours away, potentially. why haven't we seen the president? >> well, brian, boris, behind the scenes, president biden is working the phone, talking to mocratic leaders to make sure that the party is on the same page when it comes to messaging and posturing. but he is purposefully staying out of the spotlight, an absence that the white house hopes draws more attention to what it sees as chaos within the republican party. as they are scrambling to try to reach a deal to avert a shutdown. here's how the white house press secretary explained that strategy to cnn's arlette saenz. just a few moments ago. >> the president really has not been a player at all in these negotiations. i know you said he spoke with schumer and jeffries today, but what exactly is the strategy behind that? is there a sense that perhaps having him involved at this moment would do more harm than good? >> the president knows how to deal with congress. he's been around for some time. as you all know, and this is not the

first time that we've had this strategy where we have said it is congress's. one of their number one jobs is to keep the government open. in this particular instance, you saw what republicans did with speaker johnson, obviously leading us to this mess to where we are right now, and they need to fix it, period. it is their mess to fix. >> now. for weeks, the white house has sought to stay out of the fray here. senior administration officials either not responding to requests on what the white house was doing to try to negotiate with leaders on capitol hill and one senior administration official telling me point blank, it's in the hill's hands. now, the white house is confident in that strategy because it's worked for them before. notably in september 2023, house republicans were able to reach an 11th hour deal very close to midnight, where they did avert a shutdown. in that moment where the white house had similarly sought to pin the blame squarely on republicans

for failing to reach an agreement. so they're essentially ripping a page from the same playbook here. but while they're saying that their main priority is to avert a shutdown, they're also quietly preparing for the possibility of one karine jean-pierre saying that the white house has begun notifying employees of the federal government that they would be furloughed at midnight if a deal is not reached. so of course, they are saying that they're optimistic there is still time for republicans to reach a deal, but also preparing for that possible worst case scenario. >> guys, kayla tausche live for us from the white house. thank you so much. let's discuss with cnn's senior political analyst and senior editor of the atlantic, ron brownstein and catherine rampell, washington post columnist and cnn economics and political commentator. thank you both for being with us. ron, first to you, what do you make of this approach by president biden to sort of let this play out and potentially shut down? >> yeah, look, in the narrow sense, as you know, our white house reporters explained, it does kind of extend his usual

his frequent approach to dealing with congress. i mean, there really isn't a lot of reason for him to insert himself directly into this. we know what he would say. he would say the same thing as jeffrey jeffries and schumer, which is that republicans had a deal and they walked away from it, and we know how much impact it would have, which is essentially none on the republican decision making. but i think also it is clearly an extension of what we have seen, really, since he announced he was not running. you know, last summer, which is that he has been extraordinarily recessed and stepping away from direct engagement with many of the issues the country is facing in a way that is an odd kind of coda to his presidency. >> yeah, it really is. and as we look towards this deadline, catherine, what would the effects be on the economy? what is really a critical time for america's economy? >> well, first of all, it will cost taxpayers more money. >> it costs money to wind down

government operations and to ramp them back up again. but it will also affect the rest of the economy writ large. we saw this back in 2018, 2019, when there was a five week partial shutdown, which is which is a baby version of what we're talking about here. when the congressional budget office estimated that it robbed gdp of about $3 billion, that we never got back, that's even after everything was turned back on. but beyond that, you know, some examples that consumers might see. well, first of all, if you have 875,000 federal workers who are furloughed, that will affect their spending. they're their consumers, too. that will affect their spending, particularly around christmas. not only that, but some essential services will have to continue. so tsa, for example, those workers still have to come into work, but they're not getting paid. so you might imagine that you'll have more frequent call outs for being sick and greater delays for travelers. again, through a very busy holiday time and other basic services. things like if you need a new social

security card replaced, that's going to be hard to come by. and you know, the irs is operating on a skeleton staff. so all of those things do touch americans lives, whether we're talking about the services they rely on from their their government or the rest of the economy. that's essentially a punching bag, because republicans can't get their house in order. >> there's another sort of looming threat for the economy, and that is the debt ceiling. it was part of these negotiations. the original plan had sort of a raise or didn't include raising the debt ceiling, but president trump wanted it to be included. we're learning that as far as the latest effort goes on capitol hill, it doesn't actually address the debt ceiling. and congressman dan meuser just told brianna that there is some discussion of including a $1.5 trillion increase in a reconciliation bill in february, but obviously, we could fall off the fiscal cliff before that. >> so, to be clear, the debt ceiling technically gets gets

hit in early january, january 1st. but the government has these like special accounting measures that they can take extraordinary measures. u.s. treasury in particular, is well-practiced at doing this because they've had to go through this many times before where it's not like we actually lose the ability to pay our bills right away. they can move money around, essentially. so it's not like it's a firm deadline, but there's always a little bit of uncertainty about when those extraordinary measures run out. is it after, you know, a month, several months and we have even more uncertainty potentially right now because interest rates are high. and so the mix of debt that we would be able to roll over is a little bit more challenging to manage. so, you know, if if in fact something comes through in february that would be great. and in fact, i was a fan of of donald trump's proposal to eliminate the debt ceiling altogether. sadly, not too many other republicans believe that. you know, if in fact there is an increase in february, that would be fine. the fear is that

if we have enough chaos going on right now, if there's there's enough turmoil and disagreement about these more basic things, it seems very unlikely that they're going to get their act together and decide on an increase by february 1st. >> and, ron, the debt ceiling being in play, how how would that look? how would that manifest itself into chaos for trump in his early days of his incoming administration? >> well, historically, as you know, republicans in congress have leveraged the debt ceiling. when a democrat is president to try to insist on major spending cuts as the legislative price for raising the debt ceiling. and there are many. >> sorry to interrupt you one moment. let's go to manu raju. he is walking with steve scalise on the hill. let's listen in to get spending under control. >> and to secure the border. >> we can stave that off. >> obviously, we took a vote.

>> right? problems with our connectivity here, ron. sorry. can you pick it up where you left off? i apologize for interrupting you. >> yeah. usually it's been republicans in congress who try to leverage the increase in the debt ceiling against obama or biden to demand cuts in spending as the legislative price of doing that. and there are conservative republicans in both chambers who are always reluctant to vote for increasing the debt ceiling. democrats have tended to go along with it more quietly. when there's a republican in office. so, you know, trump, trump's plans obviously involve a major increase in federal debt, extending the trump tax cuts, which expire at the end of 2025, is a hugely expensive proposition, which has grown even more expensive from his various promises on the campaign trail. so it will be interesting to see whether democrats take a different posture. i mean, certainly as we saw again, elizabeth warren

last night on with kaitlan collins on the source, was saying democrats would be happy to end the debt ceiling completely, to eliminate it completely, as i think catherine was alluding to. but whether they whether they are now going to try to employ some of the tools that republicans have in the past and try to leverage their vote to raise it for some policy gains, you know, i would have to think they may move in that direction. after watching what republicans tried to do to both biden and obama. >> all right, ron catherine, thank you so much. it is a busy day on the hill. we appreciate your insights. still ahead, a team of american diplomats in syria, for the first time since the fall of the assad regime and meeting with the de facto ruler, who's rebel group just overthrew it. we have new details on that meeting next love saving money. >> then it's time to join aarp. >> get your first full year for just $12 with automatic renewal, and get a second membership free. >> that's a great deal. >> you'll have access to

hundreds of benefits to help you save money, stay healthy, and have fun. plus, everyday discounts at top retailers, dining, and more. your first year is just $12 with automatic renewal and get a second membership and an insulated trunk organizer for free. >> one ( 800) 290-7516. >> i'm jonathan lawson here to tell you about life insurance through the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85 and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget. remember the three p's? >> what are the three p's? >> the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford. a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. >> i'm 54. what's my price? >> you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. >> i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? >> also 9.95 a month. >> i just turned 80. what's my

price? >> 9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the number one most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. options start at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner and it's yours free just for calling. so call now for free information. >> call one 800 688 1300 for your free information and your free gift. that's one 800 688 1300. don't wait. one 800 688 1300. call now. >> copd is an ugly reality. i watch as his world just keeps getting smaller. but then trelegy helped us see things a

little differently. with three medicines and one inhaler, trilogy keeps airways open for a full 24 hours and prevents future flare ups. once daily, trelegy also improves lung function so he can breathe more freely all day and night. >> trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened, breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling problems urinating, vision changes or eye pain occur what a wonderful world. >> ask your doctor about once daily trelegy for copd. ( 800)

coventry direct redefining insurance. >> new year's eve live with anderson and andy. live coverage starts at eight on cnn. >> new developments out of syria. top u.s. state department officials just met

with the rebel leader of the group that is now effectively running the country there. the u.s. announced that it's dropping the $10 million bounty on the head of the leader there. after securing his commitment to prevent terrorist threats in the region. let's bring in cnn chief national security correspondent alex marquardt. that's a big move. alex, a lot of changes here. >> yeah, and that was one of the headlines out of a briefing that just ended moments ago with these u.s. officials who went to damascus, that they're dropping this $10 million bounty on a man who they have been calling abu mohammad al-jolani that his was his nom de guerre as he led this group that has been designated a terrorist group now. >> his name that, that, that he's going by and that that the u.s. is calling him is ahmad al-sharaa. and we just heard from barbara leaf, who is the top middle east official for the state department. she said that they had a lengthy, productive, interesting meeting at the ministry of foreign affairs in damascus. she said that she found him pragmatic and moderate in his answers.

when it came to the things that the u.s. is concerned about a representative government, one that respects the rights of minorities, women and different sects. she said overall, it was very positive. but at the end of the day, it's going to be the deeds, what he actually does. and so this was the first step in an ongoing conversation. of course, brianna, one of the major priorities that these u.s. officials had while in damascus is also the investigation, the search into austin tice, the journalist who disappeared some 12 years ago, some interesting new details from roger carstens, who's in charge of hostage affairs. he said that they are focusing primarily on six facilities where austin tice is thought to have been held. he said that they were quite surprised at the number of secret prisons that had been discovered, believed to have been around ten but actually 40. so for right now, they're focusing on these six prisons. they're looking for any shred of evidence they can find. still hoping to find him, but for now, sadly, no news. all right. >> we'll keep looking for that. alex, thank you so much

for the update, boris. >> let's get more perspective now with retired air force colonel cedric leighton. colonel leighton, great to see you as always as this delegation arrives in damascus, we're also learning about a u.s. airstrike that killed an i.s.i.s. leader. tell us about that and about the broader concerns regarding i.s.i.s. in syria. >> yeah, boris, this is abu yusuf, who is also known as mahmoud. he was killed in the deir ezzor province in syria. so that is in an area that is right about here in this in this general area. so with his with his death, that really brings us into an area where we've conducted strikes on a bunch of i.s.i.s. camps and operatives, basically more than 75 targets. and this is part of a major campaign because the u.s. knows that i.s.i.s. is going to be trying to break out of those detention camps that exist in syria. about 8000 of those troops, this general kirillov, the centcom commander, has mentioned. and that means that we really have

to be quite vigilant. as you know, we have u.s. troops there. 2000 now reported there. that makes a real difference when it comes to our ability to project force in that particular area. >> yeah, that that announcement of 2000 u.s. troops in syria is more than double the previously disclosed number of 900. tell us about their mission more broadly. obviously, they're there to counter i.s.i.s., but they do a lot. >> yeah, they do a lot of things. and you know, you see them here in armored personnel carrier going through a, you know, different areas. one of the key things that they are supposed to be doing is basically securing areas around here. this is the u.s. base at al-tanf, right on the iraqi, jordanian and jordanian borders, but still within syria. they're also present in this area. this is the area where the kurdish forces are located, and we have a presence throughout here. so those 2000 troops are basically designed to keep a lid on things, make sure that i.s.i.s. doesn't, i, you know, get out of hand in this particular area, but also to make sure that the rebel forces don't turn on u.s.

forces or don't go up and attack our kurdish allies in this part of syria. >> keeping a lid on things in a situation like this, not an easy mission. colonel, i want to pivot to talk about ukraine because we're getting close to entering 2025, entering a new administration with president trump set to retake the white house. and we just saw russia launching a deadly barrage of missiles in kyiv. where do you see this war going as we approach an anniversary in late february? yeah. >> so this is going to be a very difficult time for the ukrainians because right, in this particular area, the town of pokrovsk, right at the basically the junction of the eastern and southern fronts for the ukrainians, the russians are making some progress. so this is putting pressure on the eastern front and basically the southern front. so areas that potentially are threatened are the city of zaporizhzhia. there's always a threat to kharkiv, which is the second largest city for the ukrainians. and of course, with kyiv being attacked. and this

is the aftermath of the latest attack where one person was killed. that is something that becomes a critical factor, because when you look at the broader map, you see that there are going to be a lot of possibilities where the russians are going to try to keep this territory, and they're going to try to get the ukrainians out of this area right here. and when we go into more detailed map, this shows where the ukrainians have russian territory. they're going to use that as leverage to try to get some of their territory back. on the larger map right here. and if they can get some of this back, that will allow them to hopefully maintain their freedom and their independence as a sovereign country. >> we should note vladimir putin yesterday during an hours long press conference saying that he was open to discussions with president elect donald trump about a cease fire deal in the future. we'll see what comes of it. colonel cedric leighton, appreciate you as always. thanks so much. >> thanks for us. >> still plenty more news to come on news central, including holiday travel, getting into full swing this weekend. could the weather potentially ruin

your plans? we've got your forecast in just moments luther. >> never too much new year's day at eight on chase really knows how to put the heart in your local community. >> see what i did there? >> hey, jackie evan, my guy. >> you helping them with savings, right? >> i wish i had somebody like evan when i started. somebody just got their first debit card. ice cream on you ooh, tacos. >> i got you wait. >> hold on. don't you owe me money? wt? your money is a part of your community, so your bank should be too. like chase, your shipping manager left to find themself. >> leaving you lost. >> you need to hire. >> i need indeed. >> indeed you do sponsor jobs on. indeed are two and a half times faster to first hire. visit indeed.com slash hire it's payback time.

>> all these years you worked hard. you fixed it. you looked after it. maybe it's time for your home to start taking care of you. >> we've invested in our home. we've worked on it. we have had a whole lot of equity just sitting there. >> you paid down your mortgage, invested in your home. i guess you could say your home owes you. >> if you're 62 or older and own your home, learn how you could access a portion of your home equity to give you cash. a reverse mortgage could put more money in your pocket by eliminating your monthly mortgage payments, paying off higher interest credit cards, and covering medical costs. >> look, finance of america can show you how a reverse mortgage loan can use your built up home equity to give you tax free cash for almost anything you might need. >> just eliminating the mortgage payment freed up a lot of cash for us. >> i get to go and do what i want, when i want. >> finance of america customers talked about the counseling

they got along the way, so they know how a reverse mortgage works and how their home could help pay them back when they need it the most. >> i have no worries anymore. >> the fact that we're still in this home means so much. >> it's done everything for us that we hoped it would do for us. >> call now to receive your free, no obligation info kit. the kit shows you how to get the cash you need using your home's equity with a reverse mortgage. find out how your home can start taking care of you. call one ( 800) 791-3256. >> the worry every single month to make that payment was gone. >> our customers homes are taken care of them. maybe your home could do the same for you. >> call finance of america, the country's number one reverse mortgage lender, and get your free info kit. one ( 800) 791-3256. >> what if your toothbrush could do the flossing for you? waterpik sonic-fusion lets you

brush and floss with one device transforming the power of water with precision pulse technology. removing up to.

>> call 1-877-538-3882 or visit homeserve. com. >> closed captioning is brought to you by. sokolov law. >> mesothelioma victims call now $30 million in trust. money has been set aside. you may be entitled to a portion of that money. >> call one 800 859 8400. that's one 800 859 2400. >> today is the start of a huge holiday travel weekend, and the weather is going to play a big part as we are learning right here on our show triple a, estimating that a record 119 million people will be traveling starting tomorrow for the year end holidays, 107 million of those travelers will be driving, many of them facing cold, snowy weather or storms while they're on the road. >> joining us now is meteorologist chad myers to help navigate the busy holiday travel weekend. chad literally got an alert just moments ago that my flight tonight to

florida is delayed. i imagine there's going to be a lot of folks on the same boat. there will be. >> absolutely. >> delays are going to be the rule, not the. >> i just hope you didn't say canceled. so yes, i mean, a lot of people will get there. they may just not get there on time. you may miss some connections. that's certainly the case. one overachiever snow event right now is in boston. also seeing some snow now in detroit and also buffalo and even cincinnati. you had some snow earlier. winter weather advisories are in effect in the mountains and there are planes in the sky right now. many of them are getting delayed because so many of these flights are headed toward the northeast. and that's where the weather is the worst. yesterday it was minneapolis five inches of snow there, but the visibility is coming down in some of these areas, especially harrisburg, only one mile. that means that you're not seeing through that snow very far. but one thing this is a takeaway event for today. please clean your windshield. the sun is at the lowest angle of the year. it is going to drive right into your vision, clean the inside and the outside. that is the news you can use from me. i did it before i left for work today.

>> love it. >> good advice. >> love the news you can use. so. >> so does this mean that now the sun is going to start going back up and then therefore there's warmer weather eventually on the way and i don't have to clean my windshield. >> april and may look really good. >> all right. chad myers in the weather center april and may. thanks, chad. oh, got to wait a bit longer. well, yeah, we may also have to wait a bit longer to find out if the government is going to remain open. time is running out to avoid a government shutdown as republicans scramble to get their party on the same page. and we're waiting to see exactly what is in a new plan. plan c, that speaker mike johnson has come up with, and whether house democrats might actually support it. stay with cnn news central. we're back in just a few minutes okay, everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy, ensure with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health, and ensure complete with 30g of protein.

>> i'm jonathan lawson here to tell you about life insurance through the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85 and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's? >> what are the three p's? >> the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price and price. a price you can afford. a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. >> i'm 54. what's my price? >> you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. >> i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? >> also 9.95 a month. >> i just turned 80. what's my price? >> 9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the number one most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. options start at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health

questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner and it's yours free just for calling. so call now for free information call one 800 688 1300 for your free information and your free gift. >> that's one 800 688 1300. don't wait one 800 688 1300. call now. >> vinyl windows seem to be a typical choice here in the local area. some companies even advertise high quality vinyl and romer here. before you invest in vinyl windows, listen to what michael smith of renewal by andersen has to say. >> with our temperature swings, vinyl tends to warp, which causes condensation between the panes and drafts, and most vinyl windows just look very low end to begin with. our customers don't want that. >> and what our renewal by andersen windows made of our

windows are made out of a thermal polymer composite material called fibrex. >> it's beautiful, like wood, but it doesn't require the maintenance of wood. and we engineered it to be two times stronger than vinyl. so you're getting a window that will really last. >> now this is innovation. you have a feature on your windows that allows for a better view. >> our screens are made out of an ultra fine stainless steel mesh, which is virtually invisible. you get less dirt, build up more fresh air circulation, and a better view out of your windows. >> now, if we're talking about comfort, how much does the glass matter? >> the glass in a window makes a huge difference. our high performance, low e for smart sunglass is infused with silver oxide. it's engineered to help keep the cold air outside in the winter and keep the warm air outside in the summer. it also blocks 95% of the harmful uv rays that fade your furniture and your hardwood floors. >> well that's impressive michael. thank you. and right now, renewal by andersen has a great offer for homeowners

before december 31st. >> save 20% on every window. save 20% on every patio door, and save 20% on every entry door. plus, get an extra $100 off your entire purchase with no money down, no monthly payments, and no interest for one year. this offer ends december 31st for a free appointment with renewal by andersen. call one 800 501 1400. that's one 800 501 1400. >> customink helps us motivate our students with custom gear. >> we love how customink takes care of everything we need so we can focus on the kids. >> we make it easy to wow all your groups with high quality custom apparel, accessories and promo products, all backed by our be of good cheer it's th